Discarded unworn - The cheaper the clothes, the higher the cost
- By sennenqshop/li>
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- 04/05/2022
Discarded unworn – The cheaper the clothes, the higher the cost
The fashion industry harms the climate more than commercial aviation. But the environmental awareness of the manufacturers is still small and is becoming a business risk.
Walter Niederberger of San FranciscoMore than ever, clothes are mass-produced. Fashion houses such as H&M, Old Navy or Zara offer the goods so cheaply that customers find it difficult to resist. But the fast fashion society is responsible for enormous environmental damage that is not even reflected in the prices.
According to a UBS study, more than half of the 100 billion pieces of clothing sold every year end up in landfills or incineration plants within a year. Women's fashion is particularly wasteful, reports the sustainability-conscious Ellen MacArthur Foundation.
In the US, women throw away 60 percent of their new clothes without even wearing them. Fashion is cheap, and many manufacturers offer new goods on a weekly basis to stimulate demand. Asia's low-wage factories are under endless price pressure and constantly throwing cheap goods onto the market.
No wonder clothes and shoes cost 50 percent less in the US than they did in 1990, adjusted for inflation; and in the UK, prices have fallen by as much as 75 percent. Bohoo and Pretty Little Thing, two discount chains in the UK, are undercutting each other with prices ranging from £5 to £6 for a summer dress.
Primitive recycling
Individual countries such as France are trying to prevent waste, but the industry is not threatened with intervention across the board. Regulation is difficult because the production chain spans multiple countries and industries, including petrochemicals and forestry, explains Christina Dean, founder of ReDress and The R Collection, a foundation and fashion label specializing in sustainable fashion.
“The biggest problem is that recycling is almost impossible because the fabrics are made from several different fibers. In addition, the composition of the substances is usually incorrectly declared,” says Dean. This makes it almost impossible to cleanly separate and recycle the materials. “Recycling is still in the pre-industrial era. The fibers are shredded and damaged, which can only be used to produce inferior goods."
The fashion industry is way behind when it comes to the environmental balance. Less than 1% of clothing production is recycled, while 8.6% of the global economy is already circular. According to Citigroup, commercial air traffic is responsible for 2 to 3 percent of climate-damaging emissions, but the fashion industry has to account for almost 10 percent of the climate impact.
Mass production based on the chemical and petroleum industries, deforestation of tropical forests and the destruction of worn clothes are responsible. "The fashion industry cuts down 200 million trees every year for rayon and viscose fibers alone," says Nicole Rycroft, director of the environmental organization Canopy Planet. "In addition, 3.5 billion trees are used for packaging materials." The trend towards fast fashion will accelerate this development. "In the next ten years, twice as many trees will have to be felled for fashion than today, which will be needed to reduce greenhouse gases."
risk of loss of sales
However, fashion experts say the time to ignore the damage to the environment is running out. "Sustainable business models such as renting and refreshing high-quality fashion and second-hand shops are becoming increasingly popular, especially among younger customers," explains Christina Dean. "We are experiencing a rethinking process," adds Nicole Rycroft. "If the fashion industry does not adapt, it will quickly feel the effects economically."
At stake is a drop in sales of 10 to 30 percent, estimates UBS. "However, whether a customer buys a piece made of polyester or cotton, whether it's marketed as vegan or recycled, is almost meaningless for the environment in terms of sheer volume," says Rycroft. Even a t-shirt made from organic cotton uses the same amount of water as a traditional t-shirt. "The environment is only really relieved if the customers resist the appeal of the low prices."
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